Lichfield landlord urges election candidates to safeguard pubs

As the election debate continues to rage, one Lichfield landlord is offering a free pint to any of his local candidates – as long as they sit in his bar and discuss the future of the pub trade while they drink it!

Ken Gardner, who owns The Fox and Hounds in Shenstone, is keen to pin candidates down on the state of Britain’s pub industry.

He said:

“It is amazing – we are losing up to five pubs a day in this country and not once have I heard a single politician say anything about helping the pubs trade. All they seem to do is put up tax on alcohol and bang on about binge drinking while allowing supermarkets to sell booze at giveaway prices.

“I have watched the political debates and heard the three leaders talk about saving jobs and creating new ones but what about all the jobs being lost in the pub trade and brewing industry – don’t they count ?”

Ken, who with wife Doreen also owns The Crown in nearby Handsacre, has been in the trade for almost 10 years but says times have never been tougher than now.

He explained:

“People are county their pennies because of the recession but all politicians seem keen to do is increase the tax on alcohol. They pretend it is to stop binge drinking but they don’t seem able to do anything about the cheap drink offers available at supermarkets throughout the country.

“The village pub is a great British tradition but none of the politicians seem to want to do anything to protect it.
“If one of the local candidates wants to take the trouble to come in here and ask my opinion I’ll be happy to provide them with a couple of free beers as longs as they are prepared to listen to what I have to say.”